Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-05-07
NEW YORK HOTELS.
Little or No Profit Made ON the Price
of Board and Lodging.
THE BAR-ROOAs SOURCE OF GAT-THE HOTEL
WATERS AND THE HOTEL MEMS ASSOCIATION
MUTUAL PROTECTION AGAINST HOTEL BEArs-GUESTS
WHO PAY WELL.


Special Correspondence of THE EVENING STAR.
NEW YORK, May cit seems to a hotel man
from western city that man who has money
enough to start hotel in New York and pay the
big rents that rule here is pretty sure to make a
handsome thing out Of it. In q measure this is
true; but some disastrous failures in the hotel
business have occurred in New York, and more are
liable to take place In the future unless the supply
Is kept down to the demand. At present serious
drawback to the business Is the enforcement Of
the excise law, which makes difference of from
$500 to $500 week in the income OF certain
houses. Such marvel as a temperance house is
almost unknown in New York, and landlords admit
that they could not make living profit without
their bars. There isn't great margin of profit on
the food and lodging furnished the ordinary CUES
at hotel in New York. He gets room and four
elaborate meals day at the principal hotels for
s.. A close buyer could not purchase the food at
That inquire. he receives as good board as the
guest who pays $50 day for a room, and the mar
gin OF profit his s. day is so small that ii he
drinks nothing at the hotel bar he isn't consid-
cred the most desirable guest in the world.
Houses which furnish board and room on the
for to maintain their reputation they have TO get
about as choice food as the higher-priced places
and save themselves by furnishing a smaller va
rely oi VlahdS and less expensive service.
THE COLORED WAITER CROWDED OUT.
Speaking Of service, 1t may be mentioned that
the colored waiter is now almost unknown at New
York hotels, the French, Germans, Alsatians and
irish having taken their places. The white waiter
OF tne metropolis however, IS more exacting than
his cOlored brother in demanding fees. His
methods OF resentment, If he doesn't get them are
numerous and ingenious, especially in the OF
houses conducted on the European plan, where
the guest is charged for each ttem Of food A case
In point will illustrate: At one of the leading
hotels guest refused to fee the waiter at eacH
tco'S men. The guest ordered half-teaspOOnful
OF milk for his afterdnner coffee, and the waiter
added 10 cents to the bill fortt after which he
went apart and grinned as he told his fellow
walters how he got even with his enemy The
head waiter is usually In sympathy with the side
waiter the landlord DOESN'T court fuss with his
help, ana complaint for such outrage as thai
above mentioned usually brings about little else
than reprmand. The evil, however, is less
OF the metropolis banded themselves together in
the strongest organization of its kind in the world
resistance on the part OF the employees means
fight against nearly all the leading hotels OF over
seYenty-hve rooms capacity. house must have
transient trade TO belong to the organization
and only its owner or active member is eligible to
membership. W.
HOW THE ASSOCIATION WORKS.
Last week every hotel in the association re-
ceived notice that an engineer at one OF the
houses had been discharged for drunkenness
THIS method or procedure is adopted with every
empioye discharged for gross irregularities.
The next mail brought to each house the de-
scriptlon OF man who had gone off without
paving board bill OF s2l5 He had been very
p'i eNuieii dDoub Il CIOlCp room and
ave meals ana wine in his apartments, but went
away leaving in his quarters a limp satchel and a
note saving he would pay his bill as soon as he
got his reInittanceS from abroad The great MN
Der OF these hotel beats was the main matter that
called into existence the association which Sc
cured Tor New York law making defrauding a
motel mlSdeIneanor. In many States it is next
TO impossible to punish hotel beat, there being
no law to reach his case.
THE BAGGAGE-CHECK GAME
New York hotels suffer most from customers
known to them, who have been good pay. but lose
all their money in destination and 90 away with
out paying their bills. A comparatively new
method OF beating hotels is this: A well-iressed
guest pompously registers, throws down a check.
and orders the clerk to send for his baggage He
goes TO his room and the clerk reports that the
baggage cannot be found. The guest gets very in
d1gnant and the search for his trunks is renewed
The next morning, after having had dinner a
nights lodging and breakfast, the guest goes away
and leaves his check, which it is found represents
no baggage but was procured for the express pur-
pose OF beating hotels. The New York hotel men
are now SO well organized, however, that out OF
the income from $4,000 guests day they lose less
than one per cent OF their profits by reason OF
beats.
GUESTS WHO PAY WELL.
Wealthy people, on wedding tours, who pay $40
to so day for suite OF rooms, are desirable
guests, but Sara Bernhardt and Patti are more
choice patrons They pay from $50 to SIS day
Bernhardt has the reputation of being the most
easily pleased OF all high-prtced guests as to her
meals.
The ELUSIVE landlord who slaps every male
guest on the shoulder and invites him out to
drink has gone out OF fashion in the metropolis
SO has the high-priced, gorgeous hotel clerk at a
salary OF $1,000 year. The FifIh-Avenue Hotel
in New York once paid clerk who was popular
with all the statesmen that price, and the Grand
Union, at saratoga, gave clerk 5000 for one
clerk gets about $50 a month and his board and
washing. AMOS J. CuMMINGs
A statue Of the Late President Arthur.
At meeting OF the Arthur memorial commit